Real Proof
by starry-oblivion
Summary: Tony attempts to give Pepper a birthday gift that comes straight from the heart. Based mostly on the 2008 film, with some comicverse thrown in.


**Author's Note:** This story was a request from a friend. I know very little of Iron Man outside of his appearances in various Spider-Man or crossover comics. I used the movie as a basis for this story, but not all details have remained the same. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Watching Pepper leave, Tony absently scratched his facial hair.

Her birthday. Had another year really passed by so quickly? One would think that after all this time, he'd at least be able to keep track of one silly little day. Of course, if it really were that silly, he wouldn't care to keep track of it.

"Jarvis," he spoke suddenly, turning to the coffee that his personal assistant had just left for him. Upon hearing Jarvis' mechanical response through the PA system, Tony grimaced around his mug. After a swallow of the mahogany caffeine-laden liquid, he said, "Care gracing me with a personal appearance? I'm not really in the mood to talk to myself."

"As you wish, sir," came Jarvis' reply. After a few moments during which Tony sat himself down at his desk and contemplatively sipped his drink, a door that most people wouldn't have noticed opened in the back of the workstation. Closing it rather silently, a well-dressed, dark-haired man approached Tony Stark with all of the respect of an employee and all of the casual dryness of an old friend.

"I'm assuming that you don't mind my saying so, sir," Jarvis told him after a moment of silence passed between the two men, "but something must be troubling you if you no longer find solace in your machines and choose to reintegrate people into your life."

"What are you talking about?" Tony asked, only half-listening. "I integrate people into my life all the time. I'm big on integration. I'm a regular integrator."

"Inviting a female reporter over for an overnight tryst isn't exactly what I'd call mingling with society," Jarvis answered wryly.

With a small smirk, Tony finally met the older man's eyes and said, "I'm a genius and a billionaire. Both are fair reasons to be eccentric, so my definition of mingling might not fit yours precisely. And besides, I didn't call you in here to talk shop."

"Your many conquests are also not what I'd call 'talking shop,'" Jarvis remarked, "but I take it that you also didn't call me in here to quibble over semantics. If I may hazard a guess, does this have anything to do with a certain redhead who may or may not have left this very room somewhat recently?"

"And it turns out I'm not the only genius in the area," Tony grinned.

"I'm no genius, Mr. Stark," Jarvis mused. "I'm only observant. That _is_ what you pay me for these days, isn't it?"

Trying not to remember about several recent threats he received that made Tony and Jarvis decide that the former butler would probably be better off acting as an unseen security system, Tony once again scratched at his facial hair. A shave. He should definitely shave. Not that that had anything to do with the matter at hand, but stubble stopped being sexy on him ten years ago. "You're a card and a saint, Jarvis. And on the subject of cards-"

"I took the liberty of making the annual visit to Hallmark's website and purchasing an appropriately witty birthday card," Jarvis broke in. "I've seen to it that the handwriting, of course, matches your own perfectly, though it's not yet sealed if you'd like to add a personal message. I would advise against throwing in some sort of monetary bonus however, as I've seen what Miss Potts has bought herself from you, and I can assure you that you have exquisite taste."

"What did I get her?"

At this, Jarvis seemed to hesitate for a moment before stating, "Actually, she asked that I not tell you. Or, at least, that I avoid the subject. She seemed rather embarrassed by the purchase, though I honestly can't see why."

"Lingerie?"

"I believe her answer to that would be, 'in your dreams.'"

A ghost of a smile on his lips, Tony raised his mug once again as he murmured, "A guy can dream, right?" After another sip of coffee, he lowered the mug and looked off into space again. Jarvis was a patient man, and he knew Tony for a long, long time. While he was often suave and sophisticated, any time he kept his prattling and wisecracks to a minimum meant that he actually had something serious on his mind. As such, Jarvis merely stood at Tony's side, waiting for his employer to break the silence. Finally, Tony whispered, "What is she, Jarvis?"

"Pardon?"

"Pepper. I mean… she's put up with me this long, so it's no doubt that she's extraordinary."

With a small smile, Jarvis remarked, "I'm surprised you're not assuming that she's simply smitten with you."

"Well, there _is_ that," Tony admitted, smirking for only a moment before going serious again. "No, Pepper's a lot of things, but I'd never use the word 'smitten' to describe her mindset. Whatever she feels towards me… well, that's neither here nor there. The point is, how can we work so well together when she's so… so on-the-ball, so sharp, while I'm such a mess that I can't even remember the day she was born? Beneath the quips, what's she really thinking when she realizes that someone who's created some of the most important technology in the world… isn't even aware of the world around him?"

"I wouldn't go that far, sir," Jarvis replied after a beat. "As you said before, you're a genius and a billionaire. Add to that the fact that you're a businessman, and it's no surprise to anyone if you may initially come off as somewhat…."

"Somewhat _what_, Jarvis?"

"Somewhat hollow," Jarvis answered, though he was clearly dissatisfied with his choice of words. His relationship with Tony was built on honesty, but he always tried his best never to be outright blunt with the man. "Miss Potts, however, has known you for enough years to know that whatever it is that the media sees in you means nothing. As you've said, you've created technology that's saved the world, and it hasn't come without a good deal of sacrifice and controversy. Remembering a birthday is the least of your worries, and no one understands that better than Miss Potts, Colonel Rhodes, and I."

As though he hadn't heard a word after that, Tony quietly breathed out, "Hollow? Am I really hollow?" Jarvis wondered for a moment if he had offended him, but saw within Tony's eyes the same sort of calculating glimmer as when he was working around a problem. The idea of being able to use logic and mathematics to help some sort of emotional dilemma made Jarvis worry a bit for his employer, but he said nothing.

"Jarvis," Tony finally said, looking up at Jarvis as though coming to a decision. "What does she like?" When asked to elucidate, Tony spouted off, "Versace, Prada, Chanel, I don't know; whatever it is that these women wear. Or maybe, Juylian, Godiva; no, skinny as she is, she probably wouldn't spend so much on chocolate, would she? You saw what she bought herself, so what exactly is it that she likes?"

Jarvis stared at him for a moment before asking, "Sir, am I right in understanding that you're asking me to give you insight into the mind of the woman who can recite your social security number backwards, so that you can _actually_ buy her something without the assistance of, well, your personal assistant?"

"It'd be a little hard to have the right effect if I asked for her advice, wouldn't it?" Tony asked. "Besides, didn't Shakespeare or some other important dead guy say something about how it's the thought that counts? I can't really be thinking much about the gift I got her—or even of _her—_ if I've never even seen it."

"My Lord!" Jarvis exclaimed, dropping down onto a nearby stool. As though in shock, he proclaimed, "Anthony Stark is showing signs of having a real beating heart! A shred of maturity! If it weren't so out of character for me, I'd make a cynical remark!"

Slouching down in his chair, Tony muttered, "I'm not above firing you and replacing you with an advanced AI system. One less person on my payroll means one less birthday I have to remember."

"You wouldn't do such a thing, sir," Jarvis drolly replied. "Computers have no sense of humor."

"I'll _give_ them a sense of humor," Tony attested. "In case I haven't mentioned it enough times throughout this conversation, I _am_ a genius."

"And being intellectually superior," Jarvis told him as he slowly rose to his feet, "I doubt that you'd need my help in determining the perfect gift for the lovely Miss Potts. As you don't have the time to browse the markets of cyberspace, I suggest you stop worrying so much about what it is that she'll like and simply go out with the intent of making the purchase. Use that newfound heart to guide your hand and your credit card."

"Poetic as always," Tony remarked. Looking into his empty coffee cup, he asked, "Whether or not you're now mainly in charge of security, I don't suppose you'd be willing to bring me a refill. All of this human emotion and other nonsense is giving me a headache."

"Only if you take back that crack about replacing me with some sort of artificial intelligence," came the reply.

* * *

Tony conveniently "forgot" about his conversation with Jarvis until some time later, when he received a rather unexpected gift from the very person he had hoped to surprise with something.

"Proof That Tony Stark Has A Heart." How very amusing. Even more amusing was its presentation. Aside from being nothing more than a trinket that he had asked Pepper to discard, it was tastefully mounted in a simple glass case, and had been wrapped in nothing more than plain brown paper. Moreover, he probably wouldn't have even noticed it had it not been serving as a coaster for the cup of coffee she had just left him. It was as though the gift was nothing more than an afterthought, something that came with the territory of being his friend.

Friend. Tony didn't have very many of those these days. His recent business decisions were taking its toll on his popularity as well as his company. Since becoming preoccupied with completing the updated armor, Tony's only real interaction had been with the electronic voice of Jarvis coming in from the PA system, making him seem more mechanical than man. The present served as a reminder of why he had last called Jarvis into his workroom, and Tony realized that he ran the risk of becoming more mechanical himself, in an even more literal sense.

And so the following day, he decided to take a break from his dealings with the suit that he hoped would bring a brighter change to the world and headed out to assist the American economy instead. Rather than heading to the upscale shops in Beverly Hills, he decided to try for something smaller.

Small, of course, was relative, which explained why his first stop took him to Kayes, the leading diamond shop in the area. A diamond bracelet, he decided, was always a decent gift. Or a necklace. _Anything but a ring_, he thought as he entered the store. _I've still got my reputation to keep up._

"Tony? Tony Stark!" He froze at the mention of his name, the full force of his stellar reputation catching up with him as he spied the vaguely-familiar blonde inside the store. Her ruby lips curling into a smile, she put the bracelet that she had been fingering back down on the tray that the salesgirl was offering and turned to Tony. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Katie!" Tony called out, the name suddenly popping into his head.

"Corrine," she corrected, as though having expected that response.

"Right," Tony proclaimed, smiling amicably.

"Katie's my sister," Corrine told him.

"Of course," Tony answered. "The family resemblance always gets me."

"Which is interesting, considering you knew that I'm an only child," Corrine remarked with a raised eyebrow.

Tony mentally cursed both himself and the women of the world for becoming either more cunning or more malicious. Still, he kept his amiable expression intact as he playfully told her, "Now, now, if you're trying to drive me insane, I'm afraid you're about twenty years too late for that."

His charisma succeeded in winning her over. With a friendly smile, Corrine asked, "Really? Twenty whole years?"

"I'd make some sort of comment about how I'm too young to remember my sanity," Tony replied, "but why bother? The downside of being famous is that my birthday is common knowledge, so everyone knows how amazingly well-preserved I am despite my age."

The mention of birthdays reminded Tony about why he was there. Corrine also seemed to read into the remark. "So what brings the recluse out from his hideaway? Off to buy a piece of overpriced jewelry for the next future ex-girlfriend?"

"No price is overpriced if you care about the person… or if you happen to be named Tony Stark," he quipped. Seeing no reason why he couldn't take advantage of the situation, he truthfully replied, "Actually, I'm just browsing for something for an exceptional employee. Work has taken up most of my time, so I haven't seen any prospective future exes recently. Have you?"

As she was about to answer, the door that Tony was standing in front of opened, and someone bumped into him. "Oh, excuse me." Tony stiffened at the familiar voice. Peering behind him, he saw that two women had just entered the store, one of them being the very employee that he had just mentioned. "Mr. Stark!"

"Pepper! Er, Miss Potts," he quickly corrected. "What a surprise." Motioning to Corrine, he struggled to remember her last name as he said, "Corrine, this is Pepper Potts, my personal assistant. Pepper, this is, uh, Corrine-"

Working with Tony gave Pepper something akin to telepathy. "Yes, I know Miss Lewis. We met at last year's Christmas party. You were the one with the lovely pink-and-white gown, right?" As they made idle conversation, Tony's memories clicked into place. Corrine Lewis. Last year's Christmas party. White dress with the light pink trims and underwear to match. Thank God for Pepper's exceptional memory.

After their pleasantries had been exchanged, Pepper gave Tony a sideways glance. "If I knew you needed to run an errand here, Mr. Stark, I would have been able to place an order for you."

Before she could ask about his business there, Tony mentioned, "I wouldn't have thought you'd come to a place like this on your day off. It's nice to see that you share the same secret penchant for diamonds that most women have."

With a laugh, she replied, "Actually, I don't. Diamonds are a bit too extravagant for my tastes. But my friend Margaret here is getting her engagement ring resized, and we decided to make a day of touring around the boulevard. Do you know Margaret Swift?"

While introductions were made, Tony tried to see this as a good thing. After all, at least he learned something about Pepper's preferences before he spent a small fortune on a piece of jewelry that would never emerge from her jewelry box. Still, he couldn't help but be the slightest bit disappointed in having made the trip for nothing. And on top of that, Corrine decided that four was a crowd and ran off before he could make a date with her. And he was certain Pepper wouldn't take kindly to him attempting to flirt with her betrothed friend.

"Well, I think I've bothered you girls long enough," he said after Corrine disappeared. "I have some things that I should probably get around to taking care of. Incidentally, Pepper, would you happen to have any business in the Godiva store down the street?"

"I've never been in there," Pepper replied. "Not a big fan of Godiva. But if you'd like me to pick something up for you-"

"No," Tony interrupted. "Wouldn't dream of making you go out of your way. Congratulations on your engagement, Miss Swift. Assuming that Pepper is invited to the wedding, make sure to convince her that she needs me as an escort. Enjoy your day of shopping, ladies."

Thankful that he managed to evade questions about the nature of his errands, Tony hastily left the store.

* * *

He returned home believing that the entire venture was a failed one.

Tony had even attempted spying on the pair of women in hopes that he'd get a flash of inspiration, but could learn nothing other than the fact that Pepper enjoyed Haagen-Dazs strawberry ice cream. It even got to the point where he had almost forgotten what he was looking out for, and only felt like a misguided voyeur. Defeated, he had decided to return home and drown his sorrows in drink before returning to his work on the suit.

"Jarvis, I'm home," he called out as he closed the front door. He ran a hand through his hair, and his palm inadvertently brushed against his cheek. A shave. He still needed a shave. Moving towards the bar, he forgot about his problems with his stubble, since it was already growing out into something that he could pretend was fashionable. A drink. What he needed right now was a drink.

After a moment during which he watched Tony begin his second scotch, Jarvis' voice queried, "I gather you've had something of a difficult day, sir? It's been quite some time since you've downed alcohol at such a remarkable speed."

"It's like riding a bike," Tony muttered, referring to his perception of his alcohol tolerance.

"You'll be teetering off the bike soon enough," Jarvis replied, seeing Tony pour even more scotch into his glass. "You're certainly aware of the fact that I won't be assisting in any maintenance you plan on doing on the suit tonight, correct?"

"What?" Tony asked, looking towards where he knew the hidden security camera was. "What do you mean?"

"Honestly sir," Jarvis almost laughed. "Genius or no, your mind is like a sieve. Remember, after the unfortunate incident several years ago when Miss Potts first came under your employ, she made you vow that you would never work while intoxicated again. If you're going to continue hitting the scotch as hard as you currently are, then you may as well call it a night. She made _me_ promise not to allow you to work under such conditions as well, and I've never gone back on a promise made to a young lady."

Tony thought about it for a moment. Yes, it was true. While he would never brand himself as an alcoholic, he was never stingy with his alcohol intake. Just like the threats he received, the mass consumptions of alcohol during that particularly tumultuous time in his life weren't something he dwelled on often. After all, so long as his liver didn't lodge a complaint, he's free to do as he wishes.

"Fine," he finally answered, remembering the stern look on Pepper's face when she made him swear to stay away from machinery at the slightest sign of inebriation. "That woman's managed to ruin the rest of my day, so why not the night as well?"

"Sir?"

Tony opened his mouth to either explain that he had attempted to find a now-belated birthday gift for Pepper or to tell Jarvis to forget about it, when a sudden thought struck him. "Jarvis," he said suddenly, "Pepper's put copies of my expense reports onto my personal drive, yes?"

"Of course, sir."

"How far back do those reports go?"

The most minute of pauses passed by before Jarvis replied, "Miss Potts has kept precise records of virtually every penny you've spent since the day she was hired, and has managed to make some sense of the chaotic mess your previous assistants made and did her best to provide an accurate portrayal of those expenses as well. Altogether, it seems that she's compiled reports since as far back as 1995."

"Print those," Tony said somewhat excitedly. Beginning to pace, he added, "I'd also like hardcopies of the company revenue since about 1998 onwards, along with any and all publications you can find that mention Stark Industries over the past decade."

"Including the incident, sir?" Jarvis asked somewhat dubiously.

"If you skimp out on that," Tony told him, "I really _will_ replace you with AI."

* * *

It's interesting how quickly time passes by when you're being ripped off, betrayed, and avenged.

Revenge was never one of Tony Stark's strong points, but it was nice to know that all of his work on the suit resulted in stopping a crazed madman… especially one that had just recently ripped out his heart and used it towards ill devices. While his suit was partially destroyed, he had several other prototypes and had never thought that he would remain with just a single suit during his entire career. Not that he considered vigilantism to be a career, but it did seem to bring about a great deal more press than this whole weapons manufacturing business.

After the press conference in which he had revealed to the world his true involvement behind the recent events concerning Iron Man, Tony and Pepper went back to his home. Tony threw himself on the couch, exhausted. Putting her bag down on a chair, Pepper stared at him before sarcastically asking, "So, did you pull that stunt specifically to give me more work, or were you just improvising?"

"What stunt?"

"You know very well what stunt!"

"The saving your life stunt?"

He wasn't able to tell if she was actually angry or only mildly annoyed. "No, not that-"

"Good, because I could always not show up next time."

"There isn't going to _be_ a next time, Tony," Pepper cried. Now it was obvious. She was upset. Sitting up straight, he watched as she sat down on the chair and put her face in her hands. "I had told you that I quit. And you convinced me to stay. Because let's face it, without me, you can't even handle your business affairs, never mind your crazy superhero gig. But now… now everyone knows. You said it so candidly, like it was all just a joke."

Looking up at him, Pepper managed make Tony wince when he saw the tears that refused to fall from her eyes. "Don't you get it? People who _want_ power naturally hate those who _have_ power. Tony Stark had an enemy in Obadiah Stane, and then this Iron Man had an enemy in—what was it the papers called him?—the Iron Monger. The stronger you get, the stronger your enemies will get. And if I freaked out at the sight of bullet holes in your armor that first time, I can't even imagine what'll go through my mind if something worse happens."

In a quieter and yet more stern voice, she said, "Tony, please. Donate to charities if you need to feel like you're giving back, but give up the suit. Your life's worth more than that." Tony recognized that voice. It was the same tone she used when she had encouraged him to give up heavy drinking while working. She had convinced him once. She was hoping to convince him again.

After a long while, he leaned back in his seat. "Pepper, get me a drink." She blinked at him, surprised. "What?" Tony asked. "You haven't quit a second time yet, and even if you did, you haven't handed in your papers to make it official, so you're still my employee. If I ask for a drink, there's no reason for you to not get me a drink."

Taking the words harshly, Pepper glared at him for a moment before standing up and moving towards his bar. Tony knew that if he wasn't careful, he'd be asking Jarvis to publish an ad for a new personal assistant. He found that that was the least of his concerns should she decide to leave.

Pepper opened the cabinet in which Tony kept his choice liquor and paused for a moment. From where he was, Tony couldn't see her face, but he watched her slow movements as she reached into the cabinet and withdrew the rectangular object he had placed there that morning. It was wrapped in plain brown paper, and on it was a Post-It note with two simple words: "For Pepper."

Though a sort of indescribable expression passed over her face, Pepper's work ethic was as intact as always. She poured Tony a scotch and, with the bundle under her arm, delivered the drink to her employer. With the glass in his hand, Tony motioned towards the package, silently telling her to open it.

As she sat besides him and slowly began working her small fingers around the wrapping, Tony mentioned, "Just a fair warning before you think me too chivalrous: this was supposed to be a birthday gift, but things got a little… intense around that time."

She looked up at him as she said, "But you already got me a birthday gift. That dress, I told you-"

"Yes, and a very lovely dress it was," Tony confirmed. "But there are gifts, and then there are gifts. You'll understand what I mean if you stop staring into my eyes like that and get rid of that wrapping paper."

He could see something of a small blush rise to her cheeks as she looked down, completely uncovering the thing she held in her lap. It was a large book of sorts, and on the black cover was a silver inscription. "Real Proof That Tony Stark Has a Heart… And That Her Name is Virginia 'Pepper' Potts."

Pepper seemed confused for a moment, but she nevertheless opened it. It was a scrapbook. The first few pages were filled with old receipts and expense reports. She noticed that several items were highlighted, such as the exorbitant amount of money Tony had been spending on alcohol in the 90's. Stark Industries' revenue was at a terrible low despite the booming economy, and Tony had also been spending a good deal of money on various lawsuits and rehabilitation centers. She remembered those days. That was back when she had avoided the idea of working for someone like Tony Stark at all costs, fearing that she'd be another drunken notch on the bedpost and be looking for a new job days later.

It was her love of a challenge that finally convinced her to go after the job in 2001, and she began noticing a change in the contents of the book after that point. While it still consisted primarily of articles related to Tony's business and various reports that she had typed up herself, things had started looking up. Revenue was rising despite the poor global economy, and she had initially attributed that to the war on terrorism after 9/11. But Tony's personal financial accounts painted a different picture. He was no longer in rehab. More of his money was going into making money rather than on booze. (Some margins contained notes such as, "A 32.8 percent increase in profits! Incredible!") He still took a liberal amount of trips to casinos and kept some indulgent company, but it was significantly less than it had been before Pepper had come into the picture. Tony was smiling in more photographs and appeared to actually be brushed and decently dressed, which was a welcome change to his haphazard appearance of only a few years before. She noticed that, between the first picture in the book and the most recent one, Tony actually looked younger, despite the fact that more than a decade had passed.

While she didn't look through the entire book, she flipped through enough of it to be able to understand what it was that Tony had meant. When she got to the last page, she was surprised to see a small handwritten note on lined paper glued to the back cover. Outside of equations, she hadn't seen Tony write much more than his signature in ages (and she knew that virtually every card Tony sent out was auto-penned, so that didn't count). Judging by the smeared ink and other signs of imperfections, Tony had written this fairly recently.

"Thank you," the note stated, "for taking me from the man I was and the thing I could have been, and turning me into who I am and everything I'll stand for. You saved my life in more ways than this book has pages to enumerate, and I hope you'll permit me to return the favor so long as I have a breath of life in me. I'd have no heart if not for you, Pepper. Always remember that."

Pepper didn't know, of course, that the ark-reactor heart that she had mounted for him was now being used to keep him alive after Obadiah removed his previous one. And so she took his words for their metaphorical meaning, which Tony believed was just as well. If she had known that he really would be quite dead if she hadn't decided to leave him the obsolete device, her tears would probably be falling much less controllably.

At length, she finally spoke. "I suppose this is your way of guilting me into staying with you until my retirement, isn't it?"

Snapping his fingers, Tony remarked, "Darn, you saw right through my nefarious scheme! Since my charm didn't work, I thought I'd try some trickery. And if that doesn't work, well… there's no harm in going for honesty."

His voice softened as he finished that statement, causing Pepper to look up at him. His face was earnest; hers was tear-stained. "You've been going for brute honesty a lot ever since your misadventure in Afghanistan," Pepper observed. "You'd better be careful, Mr. Stark. It's almost enough to make one believe that you were a good person."

"Oh, we can't have that, can we?" Tony smirked after finishing his drink. "No, that'd make it seem like I'm actually worthy of someone like you." Pepper gave him the same sort of curious glance she gave him just before the press conference. Before she could say anything, he offered up his empty glass and asked, "I don't suppose you'd be willing to oblige me in a refill, eh?"

With a small breathy laugh, Pepper carefully closed the book, put it aside, and took Tony's glass as she went back towards the bar. Leaning back comfortably once again, he added, "And go ahead and pour yourself something, too. I'm a superhero, you know, so we should celebrate."

Without looking back at him as she refilled his glass, Pepper responded, "I don't drink while I'm on the clock, sir. You know that."

"You're on the clock?" Tony asked lightly. "Strange. I could've sworn you mentioned something about wanting to quit and there not being a next time."

"You mentioned yourself that I don't have the papers to make it official," Pepper countered.

"Since when do I ever care about being official?" Tony smirked. "I only said that so you'd get me a drink." He maintained his smile as Pepper returned with his glass, not having bothered to pour one for herself. His drink in hand, he watched Pepper sit besides him. "You're not leaving me, are you?"

She smiled as she placed a hand on the book at her side. "Considering that you're bound to go into some kind of cardiac arrest if I ever desert you, I'd end up with a murder charge if the thought even seriously crosses my mind. Besides, I don't think you're likely to find another person who's willing to stick her hand into your chest and plug a new ark-reactor into you."

"Did I ever give you a bonus for that, by the way?"

"I took the liberty of giving myself one."

"Just like the dress."

"Of course."

"Speaking of," Tony remarked, "it really did look wonderful on you. If I ever decide to buy you clothes again, you should really make sure I'm invited to the parties where you decide to wear them. Especially if they're backless."

"I'll consider it," she told him. "Though don't expect a replay of the events that happened on the balcony."

"Did something happen on the balcony?" Tony queried jokingly. "Refresh my memory."

"All right," Pepper said as she stood up. "You've an appointment with a rather miffed Agent Coulson at 4:30, and you promised Miss Everheart a 'personal' interview at her apartment at 7:00. You should also find the time to return Corrine Lewis' call."

Her professional air dissipated for a moment when she moved to pick up the scrapbook. Looking over the inscription once again, Pepper looked to Tony and said, "Thank you, Tony." Tony looked into her eyes for a moment before acknowledging the words with nothing more than a small nod. It looked like Pepper wanted to say more, but she cleared her throat and instead inquired, "Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

With a laugh, Tony replied, "Yes, that will be all, Miss Potts."


End file.
